Beliefs in Jesus’ Word and Works as Proof of His Divinity - John 13-15

 John 14:8-11 (ESV)

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

In chapter 14 of John we are reading Jesus’ final words of instruction to the disciples before His crucifixion.  He has just told them He is leaving to prepare a place for them and that He was the way to that place.  At first, Thomas objects to these truths and asks, “We don’t know where you are going, how can we know the way?”  With that question, Jesus responds with that famous line about Him being the way, the truth and the life.   That satisfied Thomas, but now Philip has an objection.   Thomas’ question seems natural when Jesus told them He was going and they would join Him.  Especially since they did not know where He meant.   But, Philip’s question seems more argumentative and/or as though he, representing the disciples, we tired of the last three years of teaching, stress and mystery.   He seems to want Jesus just to get it over with and show them all God.  Perhaps he (they) were hoping for another Mount of Transfiguration ... Matthew 17).   Perhaps they wanted a “Theophany” (appearance of God in the Old Testament through the 2nd Person of the Trinity ... Jesus).    Moses saw God!  As did Ezekiel, Jacob, Isaiah!   Jesus doesn’t necessarily rebuke Philip and the disciples (the first “you” in Jesus’ response is in the plural form in the Greek, meaning “you all”).   He does want them to take a personal journey of the past ministry He has lead them on, however.   He points them to both His words and His works as evidence that the Father is in Him and He in the Father. He wants them to see that God is the Son and the Son is God.   Jesus wants them to “believe” this.  This shows the necessity of not just believe Jesus for His substitutionary atonement for us, but also for His attributes, character and/or essence.   Our belief it that Jesus was the Son of God, that He was with God the Father in divine essence.